New York City loves its independent bookstores. It eulogizes those that have faded and celebrates when new ventures are launched. And while the historic Book Row may have passed away in the 80s, there are still many indie bookstores dotting the map, across all five boroughs. Here, I have attempted to collect all of the currently-open general-interest independent booksellers in NYC. Any store with regular-ish hours (excluding religious booksellers and appointment-only rare book sellers) is included.
While Manhattan and Brooklyn still lead the pack, Queens has a respectable number of stores, and all five boroughs are represented, with the Bronx and Staten Island both hosting lone independent stores. Lower Manhattan has the highest density of booksellers.
The listings here are kept up-to-date to the best of my ability; however, I make no promises about either the accuracy or reliability of the information. If you spot an error, or I've missed a shop, please let me know by email, mastodon, or twitter. Originally based on the "Hack Spots" website by @jllord (although I don't believe any of the actual underlying code still survives at this point).
There are currently 120 stores indexed on this page. Last updated March 23, 2025.
116 East 59th St
New York, NY 10022
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A huge rare and antique bookseller on 59th St, Argosy feels like a secret library, the shelves and every available surface stuffed with books. Not all of the six floors plus basement are open to walk-ins, but requesting access is easy. Some floors are devoted to other rarities than books, as well: one floor is entirely set aside for autographs, another for prints. The main floor holds the reference desks, while the basement holds many of the general-interest titles and more modern used books. Hours are reduced during the summer months.